Parasha

Simchat Torah 2026: What exactly are we so joyous about?

The joy of Simchat Torah is not merely an individual’s personal joy. It is joy about the Torah that exists within the people of Israel.

SIMCHAT TORAH at a base on the border with Gaza, last Oct.
OUR CHILDREN deserve a unified nation.

An unimaginable idea: When does God ignore idolatry by Jews?

WOMEN STAND in prayer at the Kotel.

Israel after Oct. 7: What Moses teaches us about survival and responsibility

MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY: Young Israelis who completed military service help farmers like Giora Isar from Moshav Maaleh Gamla at the height of the mango-picking season, near the Sea of Galilee, Aug. 4.

Parashat Nitzavim: Why we are all responsible for one another


Parashat Ki Tavo: The finest generation

Elul's call to confession requires more than admitting failure. Authentic teshuva also means recognizing personal growth and the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of this generation.

HONEST ACCOUNTING cannot be selective

Parashat Ki Tavo: The power of joy

Parashat Ki Tavo teaches that joy is not a luxury but a religious obligation, revealed through gratitude, generosity and serving God with a sincere and joyful heart.

REJOICING UPON the release of Hamas hostage Bar Kupershtein, Nov. 2, 2025.

Haftarat Ki Tetze: When others destroy, Jews rebuild and make things greater

Jerusalem has endured exile and loss, but Isaiah tells her not to look only at what has been destroyed. She must look ahead to what will be rebuilt.

Jewish worshippers and visitors gather at the Western Wall in Jerusalem a day before the eve of Tisha B’Av, July 21, 2026.

Parashat Ki Tetze: Set adrift on the island of Elul

Parashat Ki Tetze abruptly shifts from collective responsibilities to personal ones. It is the densest legal section of the Torah, containing more commandments than any other parasha.

‘NO MAN is an island, entire of itself...’

Parashat Ki Tetze: Creating a deep bond and the secret of marriage

The relationship between a man and a woman is also, in a sense, a reflection of the relationship between a person and his Creator.

UNDER THE HUPPA.

What is the connection between Zionism and planting trees in Israel?

Trees have repeatedly been destroyed by war, fires, and other causes, but we have always planted again as an expression of Jewish resilience and rebuilding.

‘MAN IS like the tree of the field.’

Parashat Shoftim: Wholehearted – and well

“Wholeheartedness is greater than wisdom, but great wisdom is required of a Jew before he reaches the level of ‘You shall be wholehearted with the Lord your God.’” - Rabbi Naftali of Ropshitz.

SORCERERS, MAGICIANS, diviners: The Torah rejects them all.

Parashat Re'eh: The tyranny of ‘one’ truth

An age of prophecy should have been an age of clarity. If God spoke directly to humanity, the path forward ought to have been unmistakable.

It takes courage to reject someone who has demonstrated extraordinary gifts.

Parashat Eikev: With respect for the past

Moses shattered the Tablets, yet their fragments were preserved beside the new ones. Their message endures, what appears broken can still carry holiness, meaning, and strength.

 Moses is seen breaking the Tablets after coming down from Mount Sinai.

Parashat Eikev: The things we step on

Parshat Eikev teaches that the greatest threats to our values begin not with rejecting them, but with neglecting the small practices that keep them alive.

REMBRANDT'S MOSES with the Ten Commandments